A group of 20 Florida Democrats took the “Minimum Wage Challenge” and attempted to live on the state’s minimum wage of $8.05 last month. This week, they reported back that many of them simply could not make it on $8.05/hour and are doubling down on their efforts for wage reform.

Occupy Democrats explained the experiment:

All of the participants pledged to live on just $17 a day. That is the average amount of money a minimum wage worker has left over after costs of taxes, chilcare and housing expenses that are deducted from their pay. This money is supposed to provide food, clothing, transportation, and any other expense a family needs to survive. At the beginning of the week, they all went shopping with a minimum wage earner to buy groceries and see what it is like to be forced to live on an unlivable wage.

The participants said it was a huge eye-opener.

Senator Dwight Bullard told the Sun Sentinel that the experience and reforming wage laws is a serious matter for him.

“I wanted folks to know that this is something I’m serious about,” Bullard told the publication. “I see the rising inequality in salaries and I know we need to pay more….Strength is in numbers. We’re telling them these people need to be paid more.”